A Navajo Housing Authority plan submitted to federal regulators shows it will build just 15 new homes and an equal number of rental properties next fiscal year with a new housing grant of nearly $80 million, records show.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and U.S. Sen. John McCain recently criticized the NHA for its lack of homebuilding despite being the largest U.S. recipient of federal dollars for tribal housing needs.

Interim CEO: Construction figures could rise

The NHA construction proposal for 2017-18 is laid out in its Indian Housing Plan, an annual report that must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This year's must be submitted by Tuesday in order to receive $79.8 million in federal grant money.

Roberta Roberts, the NHA interim chief executive, said the figures reported to HUD for new construction of homes and rentals are only base projections. The numbers could rise, she said, adding that the NHA this year completed 45 new homes and 86 rental units. Those units were paid for by previous grants.

Roberts also said the NHA could build more homes if it received additional assistance from Navajo Nation chapters (local governments).

'Very disappointing' plan

Carl on Friday called the NHA's housing plan "very disappointing." He argued the number of new homes and rentals could easily be increased from 30 to 205 across the reservation by investing more federal dollars into construction projects and less on others.

Carl, currently a cattle rancher, also said that while the NHA is spending a lot of money on renovations, the plan doesn't address the roughly 800 units boarded up across the reservation that are not being used.

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Anita James, 60, lifts the lid to a bucket where she keeps her drinking water. She shares a home near Houck, Ariz., with her sister. However, the home has no running water, so water is trucked in and transferred to containers to store in their home. Michael Chow/The Republic

Patricia Yazzie, 73, sits outside the 18-by-32-foot home she shares with her sister, Anita James, near Houck, Ariz. The sisters say they have no interest in moving into a new development proposed nearby because it would be too expensive for them. Michael Chow/The Republic

"I don't want to be pushed out of my house," said Patricia Yazzie, who lives with her sister near Houck. The sisters live for free in their current home, and do not intend to move into a new development proposed by the Navajo Housing Authority. Michael Chow/The Republic

Construction of the Bluestone Development proposed by the Navajo Housing Authority has not yet begun. A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the location near Houck, Ariz., was held in 2014. Michael Chow/The Republic